Sony's co-op Horizon game is real, it's coming to PC day one, and you can sign up for playtests that start this month
Guerrilla Games' long-rumored Horizon co-op game has finally been unveiled as Horizon Hunters Gathering, a tactical action game for up to three players who will step into the roles of powerful hunters to defend the world from an onslaught of deadly machines.
Horizon Hunters Gathering, in case it's not abundantly clear, isn't the conclusion of the Horizon trilogy that some fans have been hoping for. "It's something new," Guerrilla studio director Jan-Bart van Beek said in today's announcement video. "It stands on its own." Aloy, hero of the mainline games, makes a cameo appearance in the video, but the game itself will feature a roster of different hunter heroes, each with unique abilities: tank, sniper, stealth, and so forth.
Combat in Horizon Hunters Gathering "is tactical, reactive, and skill-based," game director Arjan Bak says later in the video. "We took the precision and tactical depth of Horizon's combat and built it for a team environment. You'll have to read enemy movement, time your attacks, and combine abilities with your squad to take down the most powerful machines. It is a challenging game. You really have to earn that victory."
And while this is not Horizon 3, Hunters Gathering will have a narrative campaign, with "new mysteries, characters, and threats" that will be built out after the game's launch. Naturally, there will also be "a vibrant social hub where players can connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together."
It all looks fine to me: generic, in that sort of Fortnite-ified way that's become common across the games industry, but otherwise harmless and inoffensive. And given that this is the first reveal, and Guerrilla hasn't gone too deep into detail, there's not much value in making any hard-and-fast judgments just yet.
Still, it seems clear the studio had some concerns about how its new game might be received: van Beek kicks off the reveal video by stating, with emphasis, "We absolutely love making singleplayer games and we're going to keep making them. They're a huge part of who we are as a studio." Hunters Gathering, he added, represents the studio's "longstanding dream to try to do something different."
And yeah, it seems that caution was warranted, because it's also very clear that not all Horizon fans like what they see. Dislikes on the reveal trailer on YouTube currently outnumber the likes, and the gap is growing; the reaction on some social media channels (one in particular, you know which one) could also be described as uncharitable.
The conversation on the new Horizon Hunters Gathering Discord, on the other hand, seems quite lovely: Even the folks who don't find this new game particularly appealing are being cool about it. I'd recommend it if you want to discuss the new game, pros and cons, like a normal person.
Here's more good news, particularly for those without doubts: Guerrilla is holding a "small-scale closed playtest" at the end of February, and you can sign up for a shot at access through Sony's beta program. The beta will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC, because yes, it's already confirmed for PC: It will be available, and is up for wishlisting now, on Steam.
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